


Quiet Moment

by biscuits_and_whiskey



Category: Broadchurch
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Early Mornings, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:21:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25003036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/biscuits_and_whiskey/pseuds/biscuits_and_whiskey
Summary: An early morning with Ellie and Hardy.Contains shameless fluff and snuggles.
Relationships: Alec Hardy & Ellie Miller, Alec Hardy/Ellie Miller
Comments: 14
Kudos: 123





	Quiet Moment

This was rare.

  
Ellie couldn’t remember the last time she’d awoken like this, early in the morning, before the sun had really begun to warm the earth, yet light still filtered through the shades.

She hadn’t woke for any reason; just the natural cycle of the body she supposed.

Either way, she laid in bed and stared upwards for a few minutes, until she realized sleep wasn’t in the cards.

  
With a small sigh, she swung her legs over the side of the bed, rubbed her eyes.

She glanced over her shoulder, at the figure still asleep on the other side before she stood.

  
The new carpeting tickled her feet as she clasped and rubbed her arms.

She crept to the closet, creaked its doors open.

Her hands reached for a tattered hoodie when they stopped, her eyes affixed on an article buried deep in the closet’s depths.

She fumbled carefully, wary of waking her bedmate, and pulled out the robe, pale green and made of terrycloth. 

She felt the soft fabric beneath her fingers and pressed it against her cheek, the sleeve cozy as if it expected her.

  
She slipped it on easily, like a favorite pair of trainers.

Encapsulated by the warmth, she buried her face in a lapel and breathed in.

There was a faint scent that clung to it, one familiar but unplaceable.

Whatever it was, she felt her shoulders relax at it.

  
Tie cinched around her waist, she snuck out of the room and shut the door behind her.

  
The house was eerily silent, the only sound the creak of the floorboards with her steps.

  
At this time in the morning, the light was pale blue, much like the moon’s but without the freezing coolness brought with it, the one that ushered people inside and to their beds.

It cast the living room in cool tones that made it feel decidedly sacred, like she was witnessing something forbidden.

Like she hadn’t earned the privilege.

But it was breathtaking all the same, and Ellie made herself welcome.

She strode up to the window and pulled back the curtains, gazed at her lawn and the empty streets.

The morning dew, still fresh, glistened on the grass and bushes, twinkled on flower petals.

The air, despite not being in it, still felt distinctly damp and cool from her vantage point. 

The sky’s clouds, the promise of an overcast day, were stained orange from the approaching sun.

She pressed her hand against the glass and was greeted with coolness.

This was familiar. Welcomed. Missed.

But she wasn’t sure from when.

Her cheek grazed the edge of her robe and the scent returned to her senses.

Musk. Something heady, like a cologne.

  
She froze, and it all fell into place.

  
Why the robe was buried, the familiarity of the early dawn, and the smell.

She knew the smell, the robe.

It was a Christmas present, long before Fred, before Tom.

She’d seen it at a department store.

He’d been thoughtful enough to sneak the purchase, wrap it, and hide it under the tree, her none the wiser.

It was one of the gifts she used the most.

  
Perhaps that’s why it survived the purge of anything, all mementoes, stained by Joe.

  
Suddenly, the light felt cold. Her mind flooded with memories of those rare mornings they shared, before Tom and before Fred.

They’d sometimes stand here, sometimes sit on the porch.

They’d be together and watch the encroaching dawn.

He’d make her tea.

They’d keep each other warm.

They were happy.

_ Were  _ happy.

The smell now made her stomach turn. The urge to tear the robe to shreds grew ever stronger, ever irresistible.

Just another thing destined to be destroyed.

Nothing new.

Internally, she boiled. Fingers clenched around terrycloth and her face fixed into a glare at the desolate streets.

She simmered in the memory, in the betrayal, in the fury.

At the touch of another hand, she nearly jumped.

  
“Bit tense?”

Her shoulders relaxed.

It wasn’t Joe. Nowhere _close_.

  
Hardy hovered at her side, t-shirt with a faded logo, boxers and worn socks.

He held two mugs of coffee.

“Up early.” He noted.

Ellie nodded and accepted the drink.

“Woke up. Couldn’t go back to sleep.”

“Mm.”

She felt an arm wrap around her.

“You?” She asked.

“Felt you get up. Wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

He looked at her curiously.

“Are you?” He asked softly.

Ellie chewed at her lip, muddled between a lie and the blunt truth.

Neither was particularly appealing.

  
But if there was one thing Ellie liked, maybe loved, about Hardy, was when it came to her, he just _knew_.

  
Hardy said nothing as he set his mug aside and slipped behind her.

His arms snaked around her midsection as he pulled her close, his body warm still from the bed.

He propped his chin on the crook of her shoulder and gazed out at the streets.

“Lovely mornin’. Not a soul out there.” He said softly.

They rocked ever so gently.

“Yeah. S’why I liked it.”

  
Ellie’s hands cupped around the mug.

“Haven’t done this since Joe.”

  
Hardy didn’t still, didn’t stop his embrace or the gentle sway they fell into.

“Haven’t done this since Tess.”

Ellie craned to meet his gaze.

“You did this too?”

He nodded.

“Before Daiz was born. On the days we had time.”

“Oh, a true luxury.”

He softly smiled.

“Didn’t realize I missed this.”

He pressed a kiss against her neck, his beard tickling her skin.

  
_A beard. Joe never had one._

She frowned, willed the thought away.

“You’re thinking.”

Her gaze flitted up, a silent question.

“Can feel it, El. Fraid you’re not subtle.”

“I don’t want to.” She sighed in admittance.

She sunk against him.

“I want to be here, _wholly_ , with you. But he’s everywhere.”

  
Hardy pressed his cheek against hers.

“What would help?”

Ellie’s eyes fluttered shut.

She took a breath, took in Hardy’s scent.

Faint tones of cedar, sandalwood. Light, not encompassing and oppressive.

“ _This_.” She sighed. “Just…just this.”

Hardy nodded and pulled her as close as he could.

“Want to forget. Want to stop _comparing_ because it’s not fair. Not fair to you.”

“S’natural.” Hardy responded.

“ _Don’t_ …don’t you dare shrug it off, Hardy. It _isn’t_ fair. I just want to forget him but he’s all over. In the house, in the town, in the morning and night.”

Any anger left her and she slumped against him.

“He’s even in this robe.” She said mournfully. “Can’t start over if he just _follows_ us. Me.”

  
He just squeezed her in response.

“We’ll run it through the wash.” Said Hardy soothingly. “Run it through a million times. Until it falls apart if it does. If it does, I’ll get you a new one.”

  
She blinked, felt a wave of shame fall over her.

“Right. The wash.” She said, feeling dumb. “Why I didn’t… _damnit_ _Ellie_ …”

“None of that.” Hushed Hardy. “Don’t say a word. You don’t deserve an ounce of it, Ellie.”

Ellie’s retort was nothing but strangled sound, tainted by grief.

“You _don’t_. You’ve done so much on your own for so long. But it’s not all on you now.”

The sun was rising, the earth warming.

The dew slipped from a few leaves.

“We’ll work through this together. He’ll fade. We’ll make sure of it.”

He nuzzled her face.

“It’ll happen. I promise. It’ll be shite first. You know that.”

She snorted.

“But, then, we’ll still be here. He won’t be. And the more we’re here, the less _he_ is. We’ll make memories, better ones. Together with Tom, Fred and Daisy.”

He kissed her cheek.

“And when we’re done, he won’t be even a passing thought. Robe won’t have his smell.”

  
Ellie laughed sadly.

“Right awful cologne. Always wore it.” 

  
Hardy’s kisses trailed to her jaw.

“It’ll be gone for good.”

  
“Thank god.”

Ellie pulled away, just enough to give room to look Hardy in the eyes.

Her expression, softened, paired with a small smile as she kissed him.

Her hand cupped the side of his cheek, brushed against scruff.

“Who knew,” She chuckled as they parted. “that my knob of a boss could be so sensitive?”

  
“I’ll have you know, Millahr, that I am full of surprises.” He smirked. “I’m not always an ass.”

“Not always. Just mostly.”

“Hey…”

She grinned and, coffee cup forgotten on the windowsill, she spun around to face him.

They closed the space, his hand in her hair, her hands braced on the sides of his face.

  
Joe’s cologne, invasive and overpowering, faded.

Forgotten.

There, instead, was the smell of freshly brewed coffee.

Of detergent.

Of cedar and sandalwood.

Of warmth.

  
Of home.

**Author's Note:**

> sometimes u get writers block n just need to write fluff
> 
> this wat happens when u listen to mree's "when you come home" over n over again lol


End file.
